Lan Ling Wang 《兰陵王》 - Feng Shao Feng, Ariel Lin, Daniel Chan

[panda-pop]

How long do you think the killing will go on. i keep on forgetting how many episodes the drama is but hopefully YWY gets more scenes cause right now hes the only one that is keeping me to watch the drama.

There's 46 episodes in all, so we've only got a week left (14 episodes, 3 airing each day) until we find out how it ends! My guess is that the killing that started in episode 30 will continue until episode 36 or so, and then the show will probably switch its focus to Xue Wu's time in Zhou. Here's a running list of the crown prince/Zheng Er's victims:

- Episode 30: the crown prince stabs his father to death

- Episode 31: Zheng Er sends assassins to kill the Dowager Empress before she makes it back to the palace from her temple pilgrimage and can investigate the death of the king

- Episode 32: the new king can't reveal Zheng Er's presence in the palace or make her a concubine because she's technically still a 罪犯 (criminal), so Zheng Er kills her childhood friend, Feng Xiao Lian, in order to steal her identity

- Hasn't happened yet: Lan Ling Wang's "death" by poison wine. Xiao Dong's death by lots of arrows (it's amazing how many times Xiao Dong has made it out of bad situations alive, but I'm pretty sure the scene in the trailer of him dying while protecting Xue Wu is the end of this character). And I can't help but be worried for An De Wang and the others in Lan Ling Wang's posse, too..

LOL, the Mysterious Guy in Black is Yang Jian, the founding emperor of the Sui Dynasty. He served Northern Zhou and usurped the throne.

So THAT'S why he shows up in this drama! Haha, thanks Xaari. I had to look him up on Wikipedia-- Wikipedia's my best friend when it comes to learning about Chinese kings and queens and dynasties-- and it led me to read more about these characters in actual history. Some interesting tidbits I thought I'd share:

- The real Yu Wen Yong does conquer Qi during his reign. His son isn't nearly as good of a ruler as he is, though, and the Mysterious Man in Black, AKA Yang Jian, takes over after Yu Wen Yong's son dies.

- Yu Wen Yong died a year after conquering Qi and never got to see his dream of uniting China come true. Uh oh, now I'm worried the drama might kill off Yu Wen Yong before we get to the end..

- Feng Xiao Lian is a real person! I got excited about this because I can see the drama using Consort Feng's actual role in history as a basic road map for future episodes. In the drama, Feng Xiao Lian is Zheng Er's best friend from childhood; they served the former queen together as maids. Zheng Er kills her anyway and assumes her name, effectively becoming Consort Feng. So in real life, Gao Wei (the crown prince's name, I'll just call him Gao Wei from now on since he's officially the king) did seriously favor this one concubine, Consort Feng. Some historians attribute the fall of Qi to Consort Feng, probably because it's fun to blame women for the fall of kingdoms, but also because she made some mistakes that caused Gao Wei to read a crucial battle wrong and lose the city of Ping Yang. You can read more of the details on Feng Xiao Lian's Wiki page.

I'd be so down with the drama incorporating this piece of history into the story. I can already see Xue Wu coming up with a clever plan to trick Zheng Er into thinking the Zhou army has defeated the Qi army, causing Zheng Er and Gao Wei to flee from a fight they were going to win. It sounds like there were quite a few close calls in the war between Zhou and Qi, so those episodes should be exciting! Straight up history's too dry for me, I like my historical fan-fiction.

[redenzione]

Gah, everyone's thoughts are great. I have no enjoyed a thread so much since I read my way through Bu Bu Jing Xin a while ago.

It's great that you guys go into such detail and give us more a well-rounded view of the characters, it can be quite difficult to read into things when you don't know exactly what is being said, etc.

Thanks so much you guys, really appreciated

[adjani]

Hi guys, its my first time in the forum! This show brought me here haha.

Actually because I read the episode guides (via the online), I already know the ending.. and frankly, I don't like it. So unless people want spoilers, I won't post it.

I agree with many comments about shipping those 2 main leads but actually if you understand the nuances, you can forgive LLW for being a dork when it comes to Zheng Er, he is truly painted to be a novice in love (hence the Empress Dowager herself wanted to be involved in his selection of his "main wife") and as he is such a "gentleman", he would step in to assist a "poor woman" but of course, being inexperienced means he acted like a dork and was tricked.

As for YWY, his character is also interesting in that he was truly interested in power but that stemmed from his desire to rid his nemesis and once that was resolved, he can focus on being a good king, which was why he desired Xue Wu in the first place. Initially, he was merely convinced she could be a symbol to unite his kingdom and encourage his troops until well he gets to know her and falls in love. That is why, initially the first arc shows LLW totally floored by Xue Wu's courage, wits etc and then subsequently, YWY falls under the same "spell". But the amazing thing is really, those 2 men recognised they both respect each other (but for their opposing sides in this political dispute).

And this develops further, something happens to LLW and he turns to YWY for Xue Wu's protection (Spoiler so shall not say).

For me, having read the episode guides, the drama seems to follow the details fairly closely, so I am not looking forward to the ending and since I really hate the Zheng Er character and all, I will be watching to Episode 36 and then downloading but only watching it again from Episode 40 onwards :P

Love everyone's views and thoughts on this drama... i haven't figured out how to post stuff here or I will post some of the weibo stuff I get from the drama... or maybe some other person can!

[QUOTE=panda-pop;1064671]There's 46 episodes in all, so we've only got a week left (14 episodes, 3 airing each day) until we find out how it ends! My guess is that the killing that started in episode 30 will continue until episode 36 or so, and then the show will probably switch its focus to Xue Wu's time in Zhou. Here's a running list of the crown prince/Zheng Er's victims:

[panda-pop]

Hi guys, its my first time in the forum! This show brought me here haha.

Actually because I read the episode guides (via the online), I already know the ending.. and frankly, I don't like it. So unless people want spoilers, I won't post it.

Love everyone's views and thoughts on this drama... i haven't figured out how to post stuff here or I will post some of the weibo stuff I get from the drama... or maybe some other person can!

Welcome, Adjani! I remember finding Spcnet a few years back while obsessing over some other show.. took a while for me to start posting, so I'm glad you've already started

Where are you getting your episode guides? I wonder if it's the same place NuDaFu got her's. This thread is pretty spoiler-heavy already, so if you do want to share (I wouldn't mind knowing!), you can just post with a "spoiler!" heading. Or you can use the hide spoiler feature, but some people have been having a hard time viewing the text using that feature. But yes, please share stuff you've seen on Weibo!

Not sure if any of you have been following dramatictealeaves' recaps on her (I think it's a her? I have a feeling there's not a ton of hardcore male fans of the show) blog, but she also posted translations of two of the songs from the OST. The only song that hasn't been posted here so far is 命運, I think:



And a plug for another blog that's covering Lan Ling Wang, Aehyu. I wish there were more blogs out there writing about Chinese dramas! Granted, I like about 1 in every 50 c-drama that gets made, but when I obsess I want to have others to obsess with

[coricori]

I am agree with you adjani LLW is such a "gentleman", he would step in to assist a "poor woman", he really cares with sincerity for his people, he is honest, has pure heart, frank, sincere, genuine, but he isn't stupidly naive hence that scene doesn't fit his caracter, being fooled by his maid Zheng Er, I think writers exaggerated that scene.
On the other hand, FSF's performance remains in half, doesn't do justice to the character, like said acrosstime: His acting is like a robot sometimes, hard to watch. FSF didn't develop well the character, I can't feel the emotion on his acting, I can't feel pain, fear, sadness, love, the angry ......That ruins the character and makes it boring. On exchange, Daniel's performance is amazing. I think the character of LLW is interesting and mysterious, and in the future another actor can develop really well this caracter.
Guys, all of you critize the actors but anyone notice about the job of director? his job is so-so, I think this director is inexperienced novice, if not were for the good work of the actors the show would have falled down, also the job of editing is terrible, I would have wanted for this show the director of Female Prime Minister. what do you think about the director, guys?..

[panda-pop]

Guys, all of you critize the actors but anyone notice about the job of director? his job is so so, I think this director is inexperienced novice, if not were for the good work of the actors the show would have falled down, also the job of editing is terrible, I would have wanted for this show the director of Female Prime Minister. what do you think about the director, guys?..

You know, now that you mention it, the directing is kind of uneven. It's not so consistently bad that I'd immediately sense it impacting the quality of the show, but I do agree that it's probably in spite of rather than because of the directing that the show works. I remember wondering earlier on in the show whether Xiao Dong's crush on Xue Wu was falling flat because of the actor or the directing. I decided after a couple of episodes that it was both. The actor who plays Xiao Dong is adorable, but he's better at goofing around and being comic relief than emoting. The directing didn't do a good job of showcasing Xiao Dong's growing feelings for Xue Wu, either. In certain scenes where you'd expect the camera to pan to Xiao Dong to get his reaction, it'd only stay on him for a second-- or miss him altogether. Or is that more a problem with editing?

It's during some of the biggest scenes that the directing is the least solid. Exhibit A: the now infamous scene where Xue Wu and Lan Ling Wang meet at the hot spring. Memorable, but for all the wrong reasons. Exhibit B: Gao Wei kills his father. You can't get cheesier than blood splatters on the wall.

[adjani]

Thanks for the welcome! Yeah I was using this forum since the days of Bu Bu Jing Xing but never really posted anything! hahaha

As for the episode guides, I think someone posted it earlier, both ent.sdchina.com and ent.iqilu.com and various others like Baidu all have it and a quick comparison shows they are the same guides. Actually I ordered the novel, OST and Photobook from Yes Asia :P because I understand from Weibo that the novel has differences from the drama. But no I have not received it yet. Tried to post something from Weibo but cannot seem to do it.

They posted some celebratory pictures and event for the drama recently. They look a lot different in modern clothes!

I am really lousy with forums and no, I have not figured out how to use the spoiler function yet! Only if the others don't mind, I can give a quick idea of what happens in the remaining episodes. I can say the ending is not a traditional happy ending and brings back to one of the statements that Xue Wu's grandma makes. I also found it very ironic but as one of the promo posters suggested, this show is truly about the 2 men and that one special woman.

And frankly, I actually really liked the beginning of the drama right up to episodes 20 because I thought the balance of war, angst, developing love and characters were really nice. The rest starting from 28 onwards is really about the politics, attempts to kill LLW and Xue Wu etc.. and its beginning to get to me a tad. I mean the fighting and pitting of wits was really very cool and showed why Xue Wu is such a great lady and the so called 天女.

I am not too sure about the director, for the Female Prime Minister, I think it was Yu Mama right? Or am I wrong :P Feng Shao Feng is one of the producers (and its his first time) and I cannot recall whether it is the director or also the main producer and this is her first historical drama (she does all the modern ones).

As for idol drama comments by bloggers, well the producers and actors set out to create a historical idol drama in their words. Clearly if we wanted it to be historical only, then probably only The legend of Zhen Huan can truly be a historical (not so much in accordance to history) but how they filmed, acted, talked and looked in that one.

Acting, I think YWY's character definitely gives room for an actor to be more varied and clearly Daniel's chops enhances that character. Whilst LLW, is meant to be a "goody" guy (except he is good looking) from the beginning to the end (and kinda of wooden, I mean his concept is, I must be a good and loyal subject, even if my King (and subsequent one are idiots/want to kill me! :P) I think FSF does a good job but Daniel clearly did an even better one. Ariel is in fine form in this one, although if you wanted a strict historical drama, then she will never be like "Zhen Huan"'s Sun Li though

[AcrossTime]

Ariel & Daniel so cute in this interview!
http://video.sina.com.cn/v/b/113171001-1290055681.html
Part 2:
http://video.sina.com.cn/v/b/113171139-1290055681.html

[adjani]

Tried to post a long reply earlier about some points raised but it didn't show up. So will post this test one first and then see, don't want to repeat the same details.

Yes the episode guides can be found at ent.sdchina.com and ent.iqilu.com and others like Baidu and they are largely the same. But they are all in chinese so you need to be able to read them. Will comment on the rest once I see if the earlier post shows up or not

[NuDaFu]

Chinese is my native language (I grew up in China until I was 8) and though I don't use it often now/have a solid grasp on it, I've always felt that it expresses particular emotions and situations better than English can.

Chinese/Cantonese is my native language too . Although, I grew up with English and didn't start re-learning the written form until my Uni days. Agree! The nuances of written Chinese does lend itself to rich emotional expression. Although, English itself can also drive deep into the human heart. Reason why I like translating song/poetry .

Directing, Acting or Writing Fails?

coricori, Panda-pop, I think both of you have valid points.

I actually think it's a mix of directing, acting and writing issues. If directed well, the series can be led along by the sheer momentum from the director, even if acting or writing falls once in a while. Example: LOTR Peter Jackson. The momentum is rather choppy, so I haven't had high hopes on fine direction.

Panda-pop, the hot spring scene was far from hot . I think the set designer for this scene also had a lot to answer to. I get they tried for a 'dreamy romantic' sequence, but they didn't have the finesse to pull back before the scene dived into ridiculous land. That scene would've still worked if it was juxtaposed by moments of gritty reality by, perhaps, adding an edge to LLW's killing spree. Contrast death with the pretty. It would've put a gravity to the shots that purposely jarred the senses and made it an impact rather than cheesy frolicking in a steamy pool.

The writing is a bit of a dud. I mean the dialogue. Which, to scriptwriters at least, is the heart of the play (Shakespeare girl here ). There's been a few times where lines have been quite repetitive. How many times did YWY call YWH an "old fox" in the same scene? I'm really surprised that the writer was the same who wrote Autumn Concerto. I really liked that drama, down to the dialogue.

I've seen FSF really get into his role e.g. Nu Ren Hua. He seems kind of unfocused as LLW. Overworked as the main and producer? Surprisingly, I don't think Ariel is consistently in top form. She is one of my favourite actresses (if not THE favourite). There are few gold performances from Ariel, but there are some moments when the comedic antics are a bit over the top. Maybe I'm biased, but I do think it's from lack of characterisation and poor writing rather than Ariel doing a bad job. She was beyond awesome in 'In Time With You'. Daniel Chan has been consistently superb, so that's a plus. Interestingly, Zheng Er and Gao Wei have been really impressive in their performances.

Poor direction, horrible writing, generally inconsistent quality of acting makes what could've been a great series just an enjoyable one. I don't usually expect all three. Just one factor is enough to carry the whole series through. Because I usually focus on script, I do believe that if the writing were better, it would've lifted the rest of the weaknesses and at least made the series great. Good writing feeds into and inspires good acting - my humble film theory .

I just checked out dramatictealeaves translation of Daniel's song. Interesting...about the interpretations we totally agree on, and those that, well, are totally different.

It would be good to have a major site dedicated to blogging and subbing Chinese dramas. Something in the calibre as Dramabeans for Korean dramas. Dramabeans is awesome. I toyed with the idea once, but I already have too many responsibilities .

[windox123]

Thank you Panda-pop for your recaps & thank you to the others for posting your valid thoughts of Lanling Wang.

Even though I don't speak or understand Chinese, I'm a fan of chinese dramas. I prefer to watch it sub in english than watch it dubbed in viet, because I get distracted when the dubbed dialogue is out of sync with the actors' mouth movements.

If royalty titles were given to wuxia novel writers, I'll vote for Jin Yong. My top five favorite of his novels and OTP / bromance are:

1. The heaven sword & dragon sabre - Zhang Wuji & Zhao Min (for newbies I recommend the 1986 Tony Leung & Kitty Lai version or 2003 Alec Su & Alyssa Chia version)
2. The legend of the condor heroes - Guo Jing & Huang Rong (1983 Felix Wong & Barbara Yung or 2008 Hu Ge & Ariel Lin)
3. The demi-gods & semi-devils - Qiao Feng & A'zhu
4. The smiling proud wanderer - Linghu Chong & Ren Yingying
5. The deer & the cauldron - Wei Xiaobao & Kangxi Emperor

After the recent Swordsman adaptation (insert sigh), I thought I'll wait patiently until a decent chinese drama comes along to recover from my disappointment....

Along came Lanling Wang & I was in denial that I was watching each episode on the same day it was broadcast without sub & refreshing forums / blogs for any discussion about Lanling Wang.

As other members have pointed out, the story and character development in the beginning was refreshing that there wasn't any unnecessary third party dragging scenes, the plot & conflict was driven by the different perspectives of each of the characters & their life experiences.

(insert sigh)... Zheng Er's story line ruined the Lan Ling Wang & Yang Xue Wu momentum. Zheng Er isn't even ten percent of THS&DS's Zhou Zhiruo's character. Zhou Zhiruo is a character I love to hate but her actions were relatable. Zheng Er's character belongs in the recent Swordsman adaptation, because even she couldn't have made a dent in that messy production.

After Lan Ling Wang's bi-polar change in character & Yang Xue Wu taking him back, I no longer look forward to or can enjoy their scenes together.

I can convert to liking Yang Xue Wu & Yuwen Yong as a pair... on the condition that Empress Ashina won't morph into a second Zheng Er if Yang Xue Wu does become his consort after Lan Ling Wang is presumed deceased.

But... I hesitate to invest in another ill fated pair, what Ashina said after Yuwen Yong didn't notice she took off a chess piece from their chess board is a bad omen of how she'll treat Yang Xue Wu if she joins the harem.

Worst case scenario, after Lan Ling Wang ends, there's the new DG&SD in October.

Overall, at least 1/3 of Lan Ling Wang was worth the anticipation and exceeded expectations by the story line, pacing, moderate to good acting, pretty scenery & didn't overuse CGI as previous chinese dramas with fantasy elements.

[Xaari]

So THAT'S why he shows up in this drama! Haha, thanks Xaari. I had to look him up on Wikipedia-- Wikipedia's my best friend when it comes to learning about Chinese kings and queens and dynasties-- and it led me to read more about these characters in actual history. Some interesting tidbits I thought I'd share:

No problem, panda-pop! Yang Jian is one of the few emperors I like because he loved and honored Empress Dugu (minus a few infractions ) for many decades (ten children!).

And since Feng Xiaolian was never actually made Empress, Zheng'er lucked out. I sure hope she suffers a humiliating death too.

I actually have always kind of liked Gao Wei's portrayal in the drama. He's no doubt a villain, but I love how he's painted in shades of gray, while Zheng'er and Zu Ting are too one-dimensional.

[panda-pop]

NuDaFu, YOU SHOULD TOTALLY START A C-DRAMA BLOG. I would read the heck out of it. There’s been so many times where I’d follow recaps on Dramabeans (or an American TV equivalent, Television Without Pity) even though I’m not watching the show. It makes no sense to my boyfriend who’s always like, “Why don’t you just watch it? Like a normal person?” Good writing makes me do weird things. Koala’s Playground is another fun blog that does talk about c-dramas (she recently posted her thoughts on Lan Ling Wang here) but she casts a wide net that covers Asian dramas in general.

AcrossTime, can’t wait to watch that interview when I get home! Ariel & Daniel seem to have more fun in interviews together than Ariel & Feng Shao Feng. Feng Shao Feng seems more uptight than I’ve seen him in the past. Probably because it’s his first producing gig and because the media keeps pestering him with questions about his gorgeous new girlfriend, Ni Ni. Also, I think you deserve the title of head cheerleader for Team Yu Wen Yong—nobody else gets more pumped up about him/Daniel!

Zheng Er's story line ruined the Lan Ling Wang & Yang Xue Wu momentum. Zheng Er isn't even ten percent of THS&DS's Zhou Zhiruo's character. Zhou Zhiruo is a character I love to hate but her actions were relatable. Zheng Er's character belongs in the recent Swordsman adaptation, because even she couldn't have made a dent in that messy production.

After Lan Ling Wang's bi-polar change in character & Yang Xue Wu taking him back, I no longer look forward to or can enjoy their scenes together.

I can convert to liking Yang Xue Wu & Yuwen Yong as a pair... on the condition that Empress Ashina won't morph into a second Zheng Er if Yang Xue Wu does become his consort after Lan Ling Wang is presumed deceased.

But... I hesitate to invest in another ill fated pair, what Ashina said after Yuwen Yong didn't notice she took off a chess piece from their chess board is a bad omen of how she'll treat Yang Xue Wu if she joins the harem.

As much as I agree that the Zheng Er storyline screwed up Lan Ling Wang & Xue Wu’s story (I can’t even remember those initial swoony feelings for Lan Ling Wang anymore), I think the actress playing Zheng Er has done a nice job with the role. The script didn’t given her much to work with—girl meets boy, boy already likes someone else, girl gets sold into slavery/tricked/rejected/raped, girl decides to take revenge on boy. Typical melodrama fodder, not much nuance. But the actress does a great job of interpreting Zheng Er’s psychological transformation. I buy her heartbreak when she first sees how little space there is for her in Lan Ling Wang’s heart. I especially like how she slowly increases the amount of crazy in Zheng Er. By episode 32, when she’s forcing poison down her best friend’s throat and crying over the dead body afterward, she’s convinced me that Zheng Er is full on crazy/broken/terrifying.

I already feel bad for Yu Wen Yong’s empress, too. You can tell in the few scenes we’ve seen her in that she loves Yu Wen Yong as a king and a husband, but he just sees her as a capable partner. Fingers crossed the drama surprises us by giving her more to do than scheme against Xue Wu.

No problem, panda-pop! Yang Jian is one of the few emperors I like because he loved and honored Empress Dugu (minus a few infractions ) for many decades (ten children!).

Which is like a miracle in ancient times, right?? The fact that they made promises to each other to be together when they were just 13 and 16 makes it all the sweeter.

[AcrossTime]

NuDaFu, YOU SHOULD TOTALLY START A C-DRAMA BLOG. I would read the heck out of it. There’s been so many times where I’d follow recaps on Dramabeans (or an American TV equivalent, Television Without Pity) even though I’m not watching the show. It makes no sense to my boyfriend who’s always like, “Why don’t you just watch it? Like a normal person?” Good writing makes me do weird things. Koala’s Playground is another fun blog that does talk about c-dramas (she recently posted her thoughts on Lan Ling Wang here) but she casts a wide net that covers Asian dramas in general.

I agree with panda-pop! I really enjoy your opinions on the drama NuDaFu. Either of you can start a blog and I'd read it ~ I lovee ockoala, it's actually where I get most of the news of upcoming dramas. I remember her recaps about the scenes in bu bu jing xin, they were the best! The interviewer in the videos I posted kinda suck at her job tho, I think the actor who plays Gao Wei would make a better host and don't you think Daniel's cantonese accented mandarin is just adorable and and and his smiles are killer. Okay I'll stop fangirling so much, but you'd be surprised how much research I can do on him in a short amount of time.

In episode 33 I liked how Lan Ling Wang's warriors are so loyal to him, but that's just adding to Gao Wei's (current Qi King) jealousy. Nonetheless one of the better scenes of Lan Ling Wang, it better shows his sacrificing nature for only a little warrior under his command. One thing that Zheng Er said that I kind of agree with is "對別人仁慈那便是對自己殘忍". If Lan Ling Wang would have just killed her after he found out about her schemes against Xue Wu, that would have saved us viewers from watching her character on screen now. But now she's back to bite his butt because he let her go.And can we take a look at how hideous Xue Wu's outfit it here:
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I'm not loving Zheng Er's hair either because of those two loops on the left side, her shoulder pads do add to the evil character she's playing but her dress looks kind of look victorian to me. They couldn't have made Xue Wu any ugly could they. The hair? The little flaps on her shoulder. Barf inducing in my opinion.

[CuteBabyAngel17]

awww....im so worried if the drama is following the episode summaries closely because i HOPE THE SPOILER ENDING IS NOT THE REAL ENDING.... otherwise...

im sorry.. i have no idea how to put on a spoiler tag... so just dont read this post if you don't want to know....


besides the ending credit showing a ragged LLW stalking XW, there is also another music video showing a raggedy LLW hugging a XW. It doesn't seem to make sense that they would end up finding each other and then go and try to kill the king... maybe they would.. but just seems odd.

and LLW is so stupid!!! wth would he even believe the king will care for the commoners when JE is by his side ALL THE TIME and when the king is so inept!!! if LLW really cared for his people, he should've killed the king and become king!!!!

[CuteBabyAngel17]

o.. and i guess i kinda wished that XW really just bombed the king and queen (and i guess herself too) so LLW can just be king and live with regret in his life.... seems like a memorable melancholy ending....lol

[Fairytale_Angel]

I jus watch 33-35 and I ran the whole thing really >.< Zheng Er and the King really got on my nerves specially how both caused so many people to die. I really do hope their characters meet a horrible death. Man with all the spoiling talks in here im really curious now how the ending will be. so...can somebody pleaseee spoil a bit lol

[adjani]

Ok I tried to post 2 times earlier but none of the posts showed so forgive me if it is repeated.

I think the summaries will be the likely course of the show since it has been accurate so far and the it fulfills one of the statements that Xue Wu's grandma mentioned.

Someone mentioned the acting and directing, well the producer (first time historical drama for her) and for FSF, first time as producer as well. So there may be inadequacies and they did intend for the drama to be a little historical idol drama type not the entirely accurate or historical like Zhen Huan Zhuan. If this post shows, then I will comment more

[adjani]

Hahah I was having the same thoughts as well, hence I was prepared to "skip pass" those annoying episodes, and it gets "worse". But the thing is, LLW is the kind of person who clearly wanted to be a good subject even if he died for it, that was why Xue Wu wanted to protect him once she heard his fate. In those days, its hard to tell them "why don't you just join YWY and unite the country for peace" shrug, just like Yue Fei where his fate was sealed by a useless emperor and evil minions.. Actually much the same for Xue Wu, its hard to be saintly (with "powers") clearly, you will see that despite all her good heartedness, she incurs jealousy the moment, she inspires the love in LLW and YWY and the citizens.

I know what happens in the next few episodes but if you read chinese, you can read it on ent.sdchina.com, Baidu and the rest as well. its a slight twist but the ending ending, is still not a happy one.... "_"

[redenzione]

I agree with panda-pop! I really enjoy your opinions on the drama NuDaFu. Either of you can start a blog and I'd read it ~ I lovee ockoala, it's actually where I get most of the news of upcoming dramas. I remember her recaps about the scenes in bu bu jing xin, they were the best! The interviewer in the videos I posted kinda suck at her job tho, I think the actor who plays Gao Wei would make a better host and don't you think Daniel's cantonese accented mandarin is just adorable and and and his smiles are killer. Okay I'll stop fangirling so much, but you'd be surprised how much research I can do on him in a short amount of time.

In episode 33 I liked how Lan Ling Wang's warriors are so loyal to him, but that's just adding to Gao Wei's (current Qi King) jealousy. Nonetheless one of the better scenes of Lan Ling Wang, it better shows his sacrificing nature for only a little warrior under his command. One thing that Zheng Er said that I kind of agree with is "對別人仁慈那便是對自己殘忍". If Lan Ling Wang would have just killed her after he found out about her schemes against Xue Wu, that would have saved us viewers from watching her character on screen now. But now she's back to bite his butt because he let her go.And can we take a look at how hideous Xue Wu's outfit it here:
$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i42.tinypic.com/ehj1vo.png')
I'm not loving Zheng Er's hair either because of those two loops on the left side, her shoulder pads do add to the evil character she's playing but her dress looks kind of look victorian to me. They couldn't have made Xue Wu any ugly could they. The hair? The little flaps on her shoulder. Barf inducing in my opinion.

I third you starting a CDrama blog - NuDaFu I would read it also! There are a lot of blogs primarily for Kdrama and JDrama to a degree, but not a hell of a lot for C and Tdramas, I follow ockoala and HKCTV Tumblr, but other than that there is not a lot out there. (That I have found, or can at least read.) I'm pretty sure you would be able to find people on this site also who would probably want to lend a hand depending on which direction should you take a blog. (i.e: recapping, articles, opinion pieces...etc etc.)

I agree with you guys regarding the directing, some of the scenes do not flow together well and it jerks you out of a peaceful scene abruptly into a scheming scene. The music jolts and you quickly have to change your thought process. Without that flow it makes this drama a bit difficult to watch for an hour, plus I think we haven't focused enough on specific characters and spent too much time with the OTP (this is very strange coming from me - normally I cannot get enough!)

I think too much time has been spent on LLW/XW and their topsy-turvy relationship, rather than going into the other characters - Like YWY for example. Daniel does fantastic with (what I think) is a relatively short amount of screen time. He makes us feel for the character and sympathise with him, we react to that - but I think in future, when the sh*t starts hitting the fan, some of the characters won't evoke that same feeling from me because we haven't seen enough of them.

Which like you all say - is down to bad writing.

This drama is good but I think it could have been "epic" in terms of grandeur and what it evoked emotionally, it's just missing that mark, for me it feels like there is no jeopardy. We are 35 episodes in with only 10 more to go and it feels like we should have not only hit our stride, but also the climax of the drama. Essentially i'm starting to tune out emotionally, which is never a good thing. I want to be able to care for these characters, but this show is making it difficult!